Blue Devils can’t close out win

The Culpeper Blue Devils thought they had an opportunity to pick up their first victory of the season Tuesday night at the CCHS gym, but once again couldn’t hang onto a fourth-quarter lead and fell to Osbourn Park, 73-64.

Spencer Allen led a balanced Culpeper (0-12, 0-5 Cedar Run) attack with 12 points and OPHS center Andrew Brookins led three Yellow Jackets in double figures with 15.

“They are a little frustrated tonight,” CCHS coach James Thompson said of his team. “It was pretty elementary what happened to us at the end. Turnovers just killed us. Even when we have the lead turnovers hurt.”

The Blue Devils used a trapping zone defense to frustrate the Osbourn Park (7-8, 3-4) guards early in the game and helped keep the ball away from the 6-7 Brookins inside. But Culpeper couldn’t convert on enough of the opportunities created by their defense and Brookins was effective enough when he did get the ball to keep OP within one, 34-33, at the half.

“I know I counted four missed layups early on from point blank,” Thompson said. “That’s eight points right there.”

The Blue Devils frustrated the Jackets’ big man early in the third quarter and extended their lead to three points after Brookins was whistled for a technical foul.

But with Brookins on the bench, OP went on a 9-0 run to take a 42-36 lead midway through the third.

Culpeper wouldn’t go away and tied it up on a Stephen Dodson layup with a little less than a minute to go in the period.

The team entered the fourth quarter knotted at 46 and Brookins returned to the floor to start the final period. He scored five consecutive points to give OP a 54-50 lead with less than six minutes remaining and Culpeper never regained the lead.

“I thought our guys that came off the bench played really well,” OPHS coach Bob Lake said.

“I didn’t think our starting five played very well. I thought we turned it over way too much in the first half. We are what we are and we’ll take a win.”

Lake left Culpeper impressed with the Devils’ young team.

“Culpeper played hard,” Lake said. “They played harder and smarter than we did.”